Family Vocabulary

Japanese family vocabulary: parents, siblings, relatives, honorific vs. plain forms, and family-related expressions.

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Japanese family vocabulary has two sets of words: one for referring to your own family (plain/humble) and one for referring to someone else's family (honorific/polite). This distinction is important at N4+ level.

Core Family Members

Your own family (plain forms)

Japanese Reading Romaji English
家族 かぞく kazoku family
父 ちち chichi father (my)
母 はは haha mother (my)
兄 あに ani older brother (my)
姉 あね ane older sister (my)
弟 おとうと otouto younger brother (my)
妹 いもうと imouto younger sister (my)
兄弟 きょうだい kyoudai siblings
祖父 そふ sofu grandfather (my)
祖母 そぼ sobo grandmother (my)
息子 むすこ musuko son (my)
娘 むすめ musume daughter (my)
夫 おっと otto husband (my)
妻 つま tsuma wife (my)
子供 こども kodomo child/children
親 おや oya parent(s)
叔父/伯父 おじ oji uncle
叔母/伯母 おば oba aunt
甥 おい oi nephew
姪 めい mei niece
従兄弟 いとこ itoko cousin

Someone else's family (honorific forms)

Japanese Reading Romaji English
お父さん おとうさん otousan father (someone else's / polite "dad")
お母さん おかあさん okaasan mother (someone else's / polite "mom")
お兄さん おにいさん oniisan older brother (someone else's)
お姉さん おねえさん oneesan older sister (someone else's)
弟さん おとうとさん otoutosan younger brother (someone else's)
妹さん いもうとさん imoutosan younger sister (someone else's)
お祖父さん おじいさん ojiisan grandfather (someone else's)
お祖母さん おばあさん obaasan grandmother (someone else's)
ご家族 ごかぞく gokazoku family (someone else's, polite)
ご主人 ごしゅじん goshujin husband (someone else's)
奥さん おくさん okusan wife (someone else's)
お子さん おこさん okosan child(ren) (someone else's)

Family Relationships

Japanese Reading English
親戚 しんせき relatives
親族 しんぞく kinship; relatives (formal)
親子 おやこ parent and child
夫婦 ふうふ married couple; husband and wife
家庭 かてい home; household; family
一家 いっか a family; one household
長男 ちょうなん eldest son
長女 ちょうじょ eldest daughter
次男 じなん second son
次女 じじょ second daughter
末っ子 すえっこ youngest child
一人っ子 ひとりっこ only child

Example Sentences

  • 私の家族は5人です。Watashi no kazoku wa gonin desu. — My family has five members.
  • 兄は医者です。Ani wa isha desu. — My older brother is a doctor.
  • お母さんはどこにいますか？ Okaasan wa doko ni imasu ka? — Where is your mother?
  • うちの子供は二人います。Uchi no kodomo wa futari imasu. — We have two children.
  • 父と母は東京に住んでいます。Chichi to haha wa Tōkyō ni sunde imasu. — My father and mother live in Tokyo.
  • 祖母は90歳です。Sobo wa kyuujussai desu. — My grandmother is 90 years old.

Common Expressions

Expression Reading English
ご家族はお元気ですか？ ごかぞくはおげんきですか Is your family doing well?
家族思い かぞくおもい family-oriented; devoted to family
家族連れ かぞくづれ with one's family (traveling with family)
身内 みうち one's own people; family and close associates
親孝行 おやこうこう filial piety; being good to one's parents